Automatically-inflating life preserver



Nov. 7, 1967 T. .1. KUBIT ETAL AUTOMATICALLY-INFLATING LIFE PRESERVER Filed April 11, 1966 FIGZ INVENTORS ATTO RNEYS United States Patent 3,350,730 AUTOMATICALLY-INFLATING LIFE PRESERVER Ted J. Kubit, 29950 Highmeadow, Farmington, Mich.

48024, and William S. Stanton, 3643 Wakefield, Berkley, Mich. 48072 Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 541,706 4 Claims. (Cl. 9-317) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatically-inflatable life preserver has a zigzagfolded inflatable envelope within a water-penetrable case having a cup-shaped cover and coupled to the outlet of a conventional compressed gas container equipped with a normally-closed gas release valve which is opened by depressing a valve plunger. This plunger is normally held in its raised closed position by a water soluble capsule which, until dissolved, prevents it from being depressed by a U- shaped spring, one arm of which engages the bottom of the container and the other the valve plunger.

Brief description of invention This invention provides an automatically-inflatable life preserver equipped with a device which permits gas to be released to inflate the life preserver automatically solely upon its being immersed in water, the inflating gas being supplied from a so-called aerosol cartridge or pressurized container which is readily obtainable commercially and which is replaceable, when exhausted, by a similar commercially-obtaina'ble cartridge.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view, upon a small scale, of a wearer equipped with the automatically-inflatable life preserver of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a central vertical section upon an enlarged scale, through the life preserver of FIGURE I, removed from its case and before inflation, with the major part of the inflatable envelope omitted to conserve space, with the pressurized container in side elevation;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section mainly in top plan View taken along the line 33 in FIGURE 2; I

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal section upon a reduced scale, through the case, with the life preserver shown in side elevation prior to inflation;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, upon an enlarged scale, of the life preserver removed from its case before inflation; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but with the soluble capsule dissolved by contact with water and with inflation proceeding, as indicated by the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive show an automatically-inflatable life preserver, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention as consisting generally of an elongated pocket case 12 including a bottom part 14 and a closure cap 16, an elongated inflatable gas-tight envelope or sac 18, an operating unit 20, a conventional pressurized aerosol gas cartridge or container 22 of commercial availability, and a soluble capsule 24 which when dissolved by contact with water, permits the operating unit 20 to actuate the aerosol container 22 to release the gas and inflate the envelope 18. The case 12 is preferably of a size capable of fitting into the pocket P of the wearer W and the cup-shaped closure cap 16 preferably fits the cup-shaped bottom part 14 in frictionally-held telescoping relationship. The closure cap 16 and bottom part 14 are conveniently made of synthetic plastic material which is easily molded to the required shape. The closure cap 16 is conveniently provided with a spring clip 26 (FIGURES 1 and 4) adapted to yieldably grip the top of the pocket P of the shirt S or other article of clothing adapted to hold it. The case 12 is provided with means for the rapid admission of water for actuating the operating unit 20, such as, for example, the provision of holes 28 in either the bottom part 14 or the sides.

The inflatable envelope 18 (FIGURES 4 and 5) is constructed from a gas-tight water-insoluble flexible material, such as thin sheet rubber or thin sheet synthetic plastic, and is so formed as to be collapsible and foldable such as in the zigzag accordion folds 30 of FIGURE 5. The top told 32 is provided with a closed end wall 34, whereas the bottom fold 36 has an internally-threaded enlargement or gas container coupling portion 38 in one wall thereof (FIGURES 2 and 6) with the threaded counterbore 40 thereof communicating through the bore 42 with the interior chamber 44 of the envelope 18. Threaded into the counterbore 40 of the coupling portion 38 is the conventional closure valve device 45 including an externallythreaded hollow valve-actuating member 46 of the conventional pressurized aerosol gas container or cartridge 22. The cartridge 22 has a bottle-shaped pressurized aerosol receptacle 48 with a neck portion 50 terminating in a top wall 52.

The valve-actuating member 46 is slidably or reciprocably mounted on a hollow reciprocable valve stem 54 projecting upward from the top wall 52 of the neck portion 50 and has a bore 56 communicating with the envelope bore 42 and a counter-bore 58 communicating with the bore 60 in the hollow valve stem 54. The valveactuating member 46 at its lower end is provided with an integral abutment flange 62 which is engaged by the bent upper arm 64 of a U-shaped spring valve depressor 66. The spring valve depressor 66 has lower arm 68 connected to the upper arm 64 by a bridge portion 70. The upper arm 64 near its outer or free end is provided with a slot or opening 72 (FIGURE 3) which is inserted over and around the valve member 46 so that the upper arm 64 presses downward against the flange 62 when the lower arm 68 is in engagement with the bottom 74 of the pressurized receptacle 48.

Interposed between the top wall 52 of the receptacle 48 and the flange 62 of the valve-actuating member 46 is the soluble capsule 24 (FIGURES 2,, 4 and 6) of any suitable substance which is rapidly soluble in water, either salt or fresh. Among such substances are cube sugar, sodium bicarbonate, and monocalcium phosphate. The capsule 24 is preferably molded in annular shape with a central hole 76 encircling the hollow stem 54.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the operating parts of the life preserver 10' are in the relative positions shown in FIGURE 2, with the soluble capsule 24 interposed between the flange 62 of the valveactuating member 46 and the top wall 52 of the aerosol container 48. Let it also be assumed that the upper arm 64 of the spring 66 is in pressure-exerting engagement with the flange 62 while the lower arm 68 thereof is in yielding engagement with the bottom wall 74 of the aerosol container 48. Let it finally be assumed that the device 10 in its container 12 is attached to the person of a wearer W, such as by the clip 26 to his pocket P, and that he falls into the water. When this occurs, the water rushing through the holes 28 of the case 14 into the interior chamber 78 thereof (FIGURE 4) rapidly dissolves the soluble capsule 24 which holds the valve-operating member 46 out of engagement with the valve stem 54. The dissolution of the capsule 24 immediately permits the upper arm 64 of the U-shaped spring 66 to press the flange 62 and the valve-actuating member 46 downward in sliding telescoping relationship with the hollow valve stem 54 until the annular shoulder 80 engages the upper an oppositely-bent end 82 of the valve stem 54 (FIGURE 2), pushing the latter downward relatively to the top wall 52 of the aerosol container 48 and opening communication from the interior thereof through the bores 60, 58, 56 and 42 into the interior chamber 44 of the flexible envelope 18. The gas within the pressurized container 48 rushes out through the hole 42 into the chamber 44, automatically inflating the envelope 18 and rendering it buoyant so as to sustain the wearer W and prevent him from sinking until rescued.

What we claim is:

1. An automatically-inflatable life preserver for attachment to a conventional compressed gas container having a gas outlet equipped with a gas release valve opened by the depression of a movable valve-actuating member, said life preserver comprising a water-penetrable case having a cup-shaped bottom part and closure cap disposed in longitudinally-telescoping sliding engagement with one another, an inflatable gas-tight envelope of flexible material folded compactly within said case in zigzag folds and having a coupling portion adapted to engage and grip the gas container outlet in a gas-tight connection, a resilient gas release valve member depressor disposed in engagement with said valve-actuating member,

and means responsive to the presence of a water-soluble body adjacent said gas release valve member for restraining said valve member from depression by said depressor and responsive to the dissolution of the water-soluble body for releasing said valve member for depression by said depressor with consequent inflation of said envelope by the gas escaping from the container expanding said envelope longitudinally and slidably pushing said closure cap lengthwise off said bottom part of said case whereby to release said envelope from said case even though said case is held tightly in the users pocket.

2. An automatically-inflatable life preserver, for attachment to a conventional compressed gas container having a gas outlet equipped with a gas release valve opened by the depression of a movable valve-actuating member, said life preserver comprising an inflatable gas-tight envelope of flexible material having a coupling portion adapted to engage and grip the gas container outlet in a gas-tight connection,

a resilient gas release valve member depressor disposed in engagement with said valve-actuating member, and means responsive to the presence of a water-soluble body adjacent said gas release valve member for restraining said valve member from depression by said depressor and responsive to the dissolution of the water-soluble body for releasing said valve member for depression by said depressor with consequent inflation of said envelope by the gas escaping from the container, said depressor including a member having a pair of spaced arms with one of said arms adapted to engage the valve-operating member and the other arm adapted to engage the container, one of said arms being a spring arm.

3. An automatically-inflatable life preserver, according to claim 2, wherein the arm adapted to engage the valve-operating member has an opening therein adapted to receive the valve operating member.

4. An automatically-inflatable life preserver, for attachment to a conventional compressed gas container having a gas outlet equipped with a gas release valve opened by the depression of a movable valve-actuating member, said life preserver comprising an inflatable gas-tight envelope of flexible material having a coupling portion adapted to engage and grip the gas container outlet in a gas-tight connection, a resilient gas release valve member depressor disposed in engagement with said valve-actuating member,

and means responsive to the presence of a water-soluble body adjacent said gas release valve member for restraining said valve member from depression by said depressor and responsive to the dissolution of the water-soluble body for releasing said valve mem her for depression by said depressor with consequent inflation of said envelope by the gas escaping from the container, said depressor including an approximately U-shaped member of resilient material having spaced arms thereon, one of said arms being adapted to engage the valve-operating member and the other arm being adapted to engage the bottom of the container and urge said container and valveoperating member toward one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1959 Gurney 93 17 X 5/1963 Segrest 9-318 4/1964 Kubit et a1. 9317 

1. AN AUTOMATICALLY-INFLATABLE LIFE PRESERVER FOR ATTACHMENT TO A CONVENTIONAL COMPRESSED GAS CONTAINER HAVING A GAS OUTLET EQUIPPED WITH A GAS RELEASE VALVE OPENED BY THE DEPRESSION OF A MOVABLE VALVE-ACTUATING MEMBER, SAID LIFE PRESERVER COMPRISING A WATER-PENETRABLE CASE HAVING A CUP-SHAPED BOTTOM PART AND CLOSURE CAP DISPOSED IN LONGITUDINALLY-TELESCOPING SLIDING ENGAGMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER, AN INFLATABLE GAS-TIGHT ENVELOPE OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL FOLDED COMPACTLY WITHIN SAID CASE IN ZIGZAG FOLDS AND HAVING A COUPLING PORTION ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND GRIP THE GAS CONTAINER OUTLET IN A GAS-TIGHT CONNECTION, A RESILIENT GAS RELEASE VALVE MEMBER DEPRESSOR DISPOSED IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID VALVE-ACTUATING MEMBER, AND MEANS REPSONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF A WATER-SOLUBLE BODY ADJACENT SAID GAS RELEASE VALVE MEMBER FOR RESTRAINING SAID VALVE MEMBER FROM DEPRESSION BY SAID DEPRESSOR AND RESPONSIVE TO THE DISSOLUTION OF THE WATER-SOLUBLE BODY FOR RELEASING SAID VALVE MEMBER FOR DEPRESSION BY SAID DEPRESSOR WITH CONSEQUENT INFLATION OF SAID ENVELOPE BY THE GAS ESCAPING FROM THE CONTAINER EXPANDING SAID ENVELOPE LONGITUDINALLY AND SLIDABLY PUSHING SAID CLOSURE CAP LENGTHWISE OFF SAID BOTTOM PART OF SAID CASE WHEREBY TO RELEASE SAID ENVELOPE FROM SAID CASE EVEN THOUGH SAID CASE IS HELD TIGHTLY IN THE USER''S POCKET. 